Acute drug-induced hepatitis caused by albendazole.
Albendazole binds to parasite's tubulin inhibiting its glucose absorption. Its common adverse effects are nausea, vomiting, constipation, thirst, dizziness, headache, hair loss and pruritus. Although mainly metabolized in the liver, abnormal liver function tests were a rare adverse effect during clinical trials and we found no literature about albendazole-induced hepatitis requiring admission. This patient had a previous history of albendazole ingestion in 2002 resulting in increase of liver function tests. And in 2005, the episode repeated. We evaluated the patient for viral hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, and autoimmune hepatitis, but no other cause of hepatic injury could be found. Liver biopsy showed periportal steatosis and periportal necrosis. The initial abnormal liver function test improved only with supportive care. These findings and the Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method of the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (RUCAM/CIOMS) score of 9 are compatible with drug-induced hepatitis so we report the case of this patient with a review of the literature.
Choi
Gi Young
GY
Department of Internal Medicine, Eulji University School of Medicine, Eulji University Hospital, Daejeon, Korea.
Yang
Hyeon Woong
HW
Cho
Soung Hoon
SH
Kang
Dong Wook
DW
Go
Hoon
H
Lee
Woong Chul
WC
Lee
Yun Jung
YJ
Jung
Sung Hee
SH
Kim
An Na
AN
Cha
Sang Woo
SW
D015766:Albendazole / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000378:metabolism; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009336:Necrosis
D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D015766:Albendazole; D005947:Glucose